Troy, New York—March 26, 2001—STEP Tools, Inc., the forerunner in developing STEP-integration software toolsets for the global marketplace, announced today it will open the North American Center for STEP-NC Technology. The center will be located in downtown Troy, New York across from the company's headquarters in the historic Rice Building. STEP Tools will host an official grand opening on Wednesday, June 6, 2001, at 11am  during a morning press conference with special guests attending. The event will be held in conjunction with STEP Tools' Industrial Review Board meeting held every six months to show the newest developments of STEP-NC and discuss future deliverables. The Industrial Review Board represents all sectors of the industrial marketplace and is comprised of leading U.S. and Canadian manufacturers, software developers, and job shops.

     The North American Center for STEP-NC Technology will serve as an educational focal point for industry and the general public interested in next-generation manufacturing.  The center will replicate a real world scenario within a machining environment. The demonstration area will house a CNC machine tool, CAD/CAM systems, and a high speed Internet connection. A library of materials covering STEP and STEP-NC will also be available at the center. Visitors will be able to see the latest developments in STEP Tools' high profile “Super Model” Project, the driving force behind the creation of software and databases for an integrated STEP-NC design-to-manufacturing system enabling numerically controlled (CNC) machine tools to be controlled by product design data.

     "We are very pleased to announce our North American Center for STEP-NC Technology," said  Dr. Martin Hardwick, president and CEO of STEP Tools. "Public interest in STEP-NC technologies and the STEP (Standard for Product Data Exchange) is at an all time high. STEP Tools is eager to demonstrate how STEP-NC works and how it will change the face of manufacturing as we know it today. The manufacturing industry has been eagerly watching the progress of STEP-NC technology. Now we can show them the tangible results of this exciting new technology, such as 50% faster machining and sending request for quotes (RFQ’s) is 75% more efficient. The process of converting CAD-to-part programs is also accelerated by 35%."

     Dr. Hardwick was recently appointed as the leader of the STEP Manufacturing Team during the ISO STEP meeting held in Funchal, Portugal in late February 2001. STEP Tools takes a leadership role in providing state-of-the art programming services and software tools for writing applications, translators and databases. With over one million end-users of STEP translators and the STEP file format, this international data standard describes and reliably transports 3D model content worldwide. Their Super Model Project is supported by an Advanced Technology Program (ATP) Award issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department's Technology Administration.

About STEP Tools, Inc.

STEP Tools, Inc. is a leading international supplier of professional STEP software toolsets (based on ISO standards) for application software developers, design firms and manufacturing companies in diverse industries. The STEP Tools product line is used by the world's foremost firms to leverage STEP technology to facilitate the sharing of engineering product information. Over one million end users utilize product data applications built with ST-Developer, the company's flagship product. The company offers ten software solutions in several languages that provide four key benefits: 1) the flexibility of EXPRESS information modeling language, 2) integration with existing tools and database systems, 3) cross-platform portability, and 4) ease-of-use for streamlined development. For late-breaking information, contact STEP Tools, Inc. by calling (518) 687-2848, email: info@steptools.com or visit STEP Tools Web Site: www.steptools.com.